Mexican, Italian Dining Finds Its Own Tasty Niche

March 30, 1994|By Barbara Sullivan. Special to the Tribune.

Although the Berwyn-Cicero area long has been known for its Bohemian flavor, the towns also offer samples of fine food from the Italian and Mexican cultures. Three outstanding examples are Lalo's, a Mexican spot in Cicero, and Capri Ristorante Italiano and Trattoria Franco, Italian restaurants in Berwyn.

Hot salsa and icy, made-from-scratch margaritas are two of the big draws at Lalo's, 6007 W. Cermak Rd. Owner Eduardo Castaneda opened the first of his six Lalo's restaurants in Chicago several years ago; the 8-year-old Cicero location, which seats about 140, was his first suburban location.

Complimentary chips and salsa plus a little pot of pickled onions, carrots and other vegetables will take the edge off your appetite while you peruse the menu.

Color photographs of some of the dishes hang on the walls next to the brightly colored booths. English is limited among some of the staff, and a bit of pointing, body language and patience is sometimes necessary to find out what's what.

If you like margaritas-and like them big-this is the place. A small one is 16 ounces and costs $4.25; a medium is 27 ounces at $6.95; and a jumbo-also called the fishbowl because of its size-is 54 ounces at $10.95. You definitely will want a designated driver.

The menu offers all the standard Mexican dishes. Some examples: guacamole is $4.95, tamales (four to a serving) are $4.95; a tostadas dinner is $6.20 and a taco dinner is $5.95-both are served with rice and beans; and a combination dinner (1 taco, 1 tostada, 1 enchilada and rice and beans) is $7.95.

House specialties are a little pricier. For example, filet mignon served with a cheese enchilada, guacamole, grilled onion and poblano pepper is $11.95, and alambres, a Mexican shish kebab served with rice and zucchini, is $9.95. Lalo's also offers several fish dishes, such as a whole, oven-cooked red snapper at $11.95.

Mussels have been one of the favorites at Capri Ristorante Italiano since it opened in 1985 at 3126 S. Oak Park Ave. as a noisy little storefront operation with 10 tables jammed close to each other.

The restaurant has tripled its size over the years, and now seats 120 in two plush dining rooms that have an art-deco feel. A bar area holds the overflow crowd.

And the mussels-about 35 or 40 of them served in a big skillet in either a red or white sauce-are still a favorite, at $7.95. The dish is listed as an appetizer, but easily can be a meal.

Almost all entrees, except for the veal dishes, are less than $10 and are served with choice of soup or salad and bread. Some examples are linguini with clams, $8.95; eggplant parmigiana, $6; baked lasagna, $6.50; and fettuccini Alfredo with broccoli, $7.95. Veal dishes are $12.50 to $15.50, and include veal parmigiana, veal salta in bocca (served with prosciutto in a sweet/sour sauce) and veal marsala.

Although the most expensive of their desserts at $2.50, the tiramisue can be a richly satisfying end to the meal.

Trattoria Franco is the newest of the three restaurants, a small storefront that opened about 2 1/2 years ago at 6233 W. Roosevelt Rd. The nondescript exterior gives no hint of the tasteful, bilevel interior with its muted pink colors, wood paneled walls and an abundance of mirrors.

Two of the biggest sellers are homemade gnocchi marinara, $9.95, and chicken romano, $12.95, which is boneless breast of chicken stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg batter and served with citrus sauce and sauteed spinach.

Appetizers are listed as cold or hot. The cold ones include antipasto, at $4.95, and mozzarella caprese (fresh mozzarella cheese served with tomatoes in seasoned oil), $4.95. The hot ones include fried calamari, $5.95, and bruschetta, $3.95. Appetizer prices are per person.

Pasta dishes range from $6.95 for spaghetti to $12.95 for several other dishes, including linguini with clam sauce and angel hair capricciosa (very thin spaghetti with shrimp).

There also are steak, veal, chicken and fish dishes, most of which are in the $13 to $15 price range and including such items as veal picatta (in lemon caper sauce) and chicken Vesuvio. Top prices are $22.95 for a veal chop and $21.95 for an assortment of shellfish in tomato and herb broth.